Quadriplegic subjects present extensive muscle mass paralysis which is responsible for the dramatic decrease in bone mass, increasing the risk of bone fractures. There has been much effort to find an efficient treatment to prevent or reverse this significant bone loss. We used 21 male subjects, mean age 31.95 ± 8.01 years, with chronic quadriplegia, between C4 and C8, to evaluate the effect of treadmill gait training using neuromuscular electrical stimulation, with 30-50% weight relief, on bone mass, comparing individual dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry responses and biochemical markers of bone metabolism. Subjects were divided into gait (N = 11) and control (N = 10) groups. The gait group underwent gait training for 6 months, twice a week, for 20 min, while the control group did not perform gait. Bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine, femoral neck, trochanteric area, and total femur, and biochemical markers (osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, pyridinoline, and deoxypyridinoline) were measured at the beginning of the study and 6 months later. In the gait group, 81.8% of the subjects presented a significant increase in bone formation and 66.7% also presented a significant decrease of bone resorption markers, whereas 30% of the controls did not present any change in markers and 20% presented an increase in bone formation. Marker results did not always agree with BMD data. Indeed, many individuals with increased bone formation presented a decrease in BMD. Most individuals in the gait group presented an increase in bone formation markers and a decrease in bone resorption markers, suggesting that gait training, even with 30-50% body weight support, was efficient in improving the bone mass of chronic quadriplegics.

INTRODUÇÃO E OBJETIVO: O exame de urina é um procedimento de alta demanda, trabalhoso e pouco padronizado. Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o desempenho de um citômetro de fluxo na realização do exame de urina de rotina. CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODOS: Foram analisadas 1.140 amostras de urina através de microscopia óptica comum e de citometria de fluxo (UF-100/SYSMEX). A precisão foi estabelecida com a análise de quatro amostras de urina (20 replicações cada). O cálculo da reprodutibilidade foi realizado a partir de 30 determinações de dois controles comerciais em dias consecutivos. RESULTADOS: As contagens de hemácias e leucócitos mostraram concordância de 91% e 93%, respectivamente. Cilindros, células e bactérias mostraram sobreposição dos valores fornecidos pelo UF-100 quando comparados com os relatados na análise microscópica. A precisão do UF-100 variou de 4% a 155%, com reprodutibilidade de 3% e 25%, dependendo do parâmetro avaliado. CONCLUSÃO: O equipamento UF-100/SYSMEX demonstra boa precisão, reprodutibilidade e concordância com a microscopia óptica. A utilização da citometria de fluxo implica numa maior agilização e padronização da rotina, bem como em uma nova maneira de reportar e interpretar o exame de urina de rotina.

INTRODUCTION: Urinalysis is a high demand procedure, with large amount of manual labor and poorly standardized. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the performance of an automated system based on flow cytometry for routine urinalysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed 1,140 urine samples by light field microscopy and by flow cytometry (UF-100/SYSMEX). For the precision study of the UF-100, we calculated the within-run and between-run coefficients of variation using two different levels of commercial controls and four different urine samples. RESULTS: Erythrocytes and leukocytes counts by the two methods showed an agreement of 91% and 93%, respectively. Casts, epithelial cells and bacteria counts by the UF-100 showed a significant overlap when compared to microscopic analysis. Intra assay precision (within-run) ranged from 4% to 155% and interassay precision (between-run) varied from 3% to 25%, depending on the considered parameter. CONCLUSION: Flow cytometry is a precise and reproducible technique, with a strong correlation with the results obtained by microscopic analysis. Flow cytometry allows a better workflow and a new manner of reporting and interpreting routine urinalysis.

The purpose of the present study was to validate the quantitative culture and cellularity of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). A prospective validation test trial was carried out between 1992 and 1997 in a general adult intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. Thirty-seven patients on mechanical ventilation with suspected VAP who died at most three days after a BAL diagnostic procedure were submitted to a postmortem lung biopsy. BAL effluent was submitted to Gram staining, quantitative culture and cellularity count. Postmortem lung tissue quantitative culture and histopathological findings were considered to be the gold standard exams for VAP diagnosis. According to these criteria, 20 patients (54%) were diagnosed as having VAP and 17 (46%) as not having the condition. Quantitative culture of BAL effluent showed 90% sensitivity (18/20), 94.1% specificity (16/17), 94.7% positive predictive value and 88.8% negative predictive value. Fever and leukocytosis were useless for VAP diagnosis. Gram staining of BAL effluent was negative in 94.1% of the patients without VAP (16/17). Regarding the total cellularity of BAL, a cut-off point of 400,000 cells/ml showed a specificity of 94.1% (16/17), and a cut-off point of 50% of BAL neutrophils showed a sensitivity of 90% (19/20). In conclusion, BAL quantitative culture, Gram staining and cellularity might be useful in the diagnostic investigation of VAP.

INTRODUÇÃO E OBJETIVOS: Ciclosporina A é uma droga imunossupressora potente e efetiva no combate à rejeição de órgãos transplantados. No presente estudo, os autores avaliaram o emprego de um imunoensaio monoclonal com fluorescência polarizada (FPIAm), como um método alternativo ao radioimunoensaio (RIA) para determinação dos níveis de ciclosporina em sangue total. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Amostras de sangue de 65 pacientes submetidos a transplante renal foram colhidas em frascos com EDTA 12 horas após a última dose de ciclosporina, via oral. Os níveis de ciclosporina foram avaliados por meio de radioimunoensaio com anticorpo monoclonal e imunoensaio monoclonal com fluorescência polarizada. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÃO: A análise estatística revelou um coeficiente de correlação entre os métodos de r = 0,9817 e o teste t de Student pareado mostrou haver diferença estatisticamente significaante entre eles (p<0,05). A análise da regressão revelou que os métodos poderiam ser comparáveis por meio da equação Cya(FPIAm) = 1,06xCya(RIA) + 5,8, mostrando que FPIAm é um excelente método alternativo ao RIA, com as vantagens de ser rápido, de fácil execução, reprodutível e com resultados comparavéis aos obtidos por RIA.

BACKGROUND: Cyclosporin A is a potent immunosuppressive drug effective in combatting rejection following organ transplantation. In na effort to replace a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for whole blood determination of cyclosporine (Cya) we compared RIA with fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIAm). METHOD: 65 blood samples were analysed from kidney transplanted patients. The samples were collected into tubes containing EDTA as anticoagulant and analysed by RIA and FPIAm. RESULTS: The statistical analysis revealed a difference between both methods (p<0.05). The linear-regression comparassion of Cya concentration measured by RIA and FPIAm showed the following relationship: Cya(FPIAm) = 1.06 x Cya(RIA) + 5.8 (r=0.9817). CONCLUSION: We conclude that FPIAm provides na alternative method for measuring cyclosporine in whole blood with the added advantages of being reasonably rapid, precise and easy to perform.

Infecção humana por Cryptosporidium spp e outros coccideos deve-se a microrganismos oportunistas hospedeiros não-específicos e, em pacientes HIV positivos, os sintomas gastro-intestinais podem ser sérios e prolongados incluindo náuseas, febre baixa, dores abdominais, anorexia e diarréia aquosa. Estudamos 188 amostras de fezes provenientes de 111 pacientes (84 homens e 27 mulheres, com idade média de 31 anos) com diarréia, atendidos no Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Para detecção de Cryptosporidium spp e lsospora belli empregou-se a técnica de Ziehl-Nielsen modificada. Oitenta e três porcento dos pacientes (n=92) eram HIV positivos. Cryptosporidium spp foi observado em 18% de todos os pacientes, sendo que destes, noventa porcento eram HIV positivos, lsospora belli foi evidenciada somente em pacientes HIV positivos, com uma freqüência de 5.4% de todos os pacientes e de 6.5% considerando-se apenas os pacientes HIV positivos. Este estudo confirma os bons resultados obtidos com a técnica empregada para identificação de Cryptosporidium spp e outros coccideos, além de ressaltar a importância da investigação etiológica apropriada em casos de diarréia prolongada, especialmente em pacientes imunossuprimidos.

Human infection by Cryptosporidium spp and other coccidia are due to opportunist non-host specific microorganisms. In HIV seropositive patients, the gastrointestinal symptoms accompanying such infections may be serious and prolonged and may include nausea, low-grade fever, abdominal cramps, anorexia and watery diarrhoea. We studied 188 stool samples from 111 patients (84 men and 27 women) with diarrhoea. A modified Ziehl-Nielsen technique for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp and Isospora belli was employed. The mean age of the patients was 31 years. Cryptosporidium spp was seen in 18% (n=20) of the patients, 90% (n=18) of whom were HIV seropositive. Isospora belli was recorded only from HIV seropositive patients (5.4% of all the patients studied and 6.5% of those who were HIV seropositive). These data confirm the good results obtained with this technique for the identification of Cryptosporidium spp and other coccidia and also reaffirm the clinical importance of correctly diagnosing the cause of diarrhoea, particularly in HIV seropositive patients.